ROB LILWALL​

Rob Lilwall

Rob Lilwall is an adventurer, author, and keynote speaker withindependent adventures by bicycle and on foot across 50,000 miles of the world, including through Siberia in winter, Afghanistan, Tibet, Papua New Guinea and Mongolia. His expeditions have been featured on National Geographic, the BBC, and Channel NewsAsia.

​If one could choose a middle name for Rob, it would likely be “Daring”. Or “Resilient”. Some may prefer “Crazy”.

How else would you describe an everyday geography high-school teacher who dropped everything to cycle from Siberia to London via China, Australia and Afghanistan? The journey took 3 years, covering over 50,000 km.

If that wasn’t enough, adventure beckoned again a few years later when Rob took on another expedition – this time from Mongolia to Hong Kong. 5,000 km on foot. In winter.

Two Nat Geo TV series and two books later, Rob is one of Asia Pacific’s most popular keynote speakers. He has inspired over 50,000 people in over 20 countries worldwide, weaving lessons from his adventures into today’s business world and making them relevant to you.

Rob is a passionate life-long learner and communicator. When Rob isn’t being chased by bandits in Papua New Guinea or trekking in sub zero Mongolian blizzards, he spends his time on charity work, writing, and learning new ways of living out the attitudes of adventure in everyday life.

Rob is a graduate of the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford, and a member of the Global Speakers Federation.

His expeditions have seen him travel over 80,000 km on foot, by bicycle, and by boat through some of harshest corners on earth, including the frozen wastelands of Siberia, the hidden valleys of China, and the lonely passes of Afghanistan. His two most epic expeditions Cycling Home From Siberia and Walking Home From Mongolia were commissioned as television series for National Geographic. His motivational talks have enthralled tens of thousands of people in Asia, Australia, Europe and America. His Cycling Home From Siberia book was described by The Guardian as “a two-wheeled classic”.

As a keynote speaker, Rob has travelled across the globe, giving presentations in over 20 countries. He takes the audience with him on the journey, weaving in powerful takeaways that will undoubtedly enhance their performance and their lives. He has worked with some of the world’s biggest organisations and brands, including Microsoft, Gemalto, IBM, ADP, ABB, Swire Properties, MEC, Nike, Adidas, Hyatt, Marriott, Ayala Land, HSBC, UBS, Goldman Sachs, Permira, Prudential, Manulife, AIA, Randstad, and Thomson Reuters.

​When speaking to corporate audiences, Rob relates the ever-growing challenges of the 21st century workplace to his own - at times hilarious, at times deadly serious - trials, tribulations and triumphs in the wild lands of the world. He advocates that with the right attitudes, and especially by treating our toughest problems as challenges and adventures, our performance in any field of work can be significantly enhanced. Rob’s talks combine laugh-out-loud entertainment with profound motivational messages, making them an excellent and memorable component of corporate training days, off-sites, and conferences.

I use my adventuresand stories to helpcommunicatepowerful conceptsand applicationsabout resilience, a growth mindset,collaboration, facingfears, and having agood attitude towardsadversityRob Lilwall

SUGGESTED KEYNOTE TOPICS

In his talks, Rob explains the lessons he has learned in terms of the Attitudes of Adventure, which he expertly applies to help his audience redefine, embrace and overcome challenges. Rob can focus on certain topics depending on the theme of the event or desired outcomes of the client.

Rob brings his adventures to life using epic photographs and stunning video clips. And whether it be walking across the Gobi in winter, or pushing a bicycle through the jungles of Papua New Guinea, he applies the attitudes which allowed him to survive and thrive in adventure, to the challenges of our day-to-day work lives. Such attitudes include:

Effective goal-setting: breaking a mammoth task into smaller parts, thus setting sights on one achievable goal at a time

Self discipline: remembering that our self discipline must start with the small tasks, which makes a significant difference in overall progress, especially by circumventing future problems

Resisting the fear of failure: having the confidence to commit to the task even when the negative voice in one’s head or the pessimist in the office insists that it is too hard

Keeping and boosting the morale of the team: learning not to hold grudges or take offence too easily, but instead keep talking with team members and enjoying the challenge together

Effective networking: honing the craft of networking, and understanding the powerful consequences of being courteous to all

Persevering under pressure: developing the attitude of tenacity which in the long run will move us from mediocrity to excellence

Different clients have different needs: some look purely for an epic, exciting story of adventure; others may want to develop and focus more on the above attitudes. Rob is always keen to bespoke his talk to the specific requirements of the client. He is based in Hong Kong and available to speak worldwide. ​

​Testimonials

We have had many conferences, and many after dinner speakers, and without doubt Rob Lilwall was one of the very best. His journey is fascinating and his talk and style highly engaging, filled with humour, and makes good use of video and pictures. It works very well in the corporate environment with great messages about overcoming challenges and being resourceful.Macquarie Capital, Hong KongThank you for your excellent contribution to our 2011 Asia Pacific Director of Finance Conference… it was a real inspiration to everyone listening. I like the way that you tailored your presentation to tie into the key messages of our conference… The feedback on your presentation has been tremendous. Marriott International, Hong Kong

Your talk was nothing short of inspiring. Our participants were completely captured by your energy, your conviction and the undeniable truth of your message. Your remarkable story brought to life our values in an external environment. Thank you. HSBC, Hong Kong

Rob Lilwall’s drive and determination is an inspiration to all. Who would have thought that such a simple thing like riding a bicycle could create such emotion that we can do anything regardless of any adversity faced. Rob’s journey and his story reaffirm peoples’ behavior at its best; his humble nature and approach to life made the journey so seamless - regardless of culture, language and belief of the people he met along the way. Pivotal Financial Advisers Limited, Australia

Your story is fascinating and your presentation of it was engrossing. This was plainly evident by the amount of questions that you were asked despite your presentation taking place at the end of a long day (and well into the scheduled drinks time)! UBS, Hong Kong

Rob's story about getting beyond borders and taking calculated risks, following dreams and persevering in the face of obstacles was extremely motivating and added great value to our conference. He kept the audience captivated with his anecdotes and inspired to be more creative and innovative in their own lives.DuPont Sustainable Solutions, Singapore

[Rob] has challenged himself both physically and mentally, learning how to focus on the positive in almost any situation… At the very least you should read his book but, better still, I recommend you meet him and hear his story first hand. He is a first rate presenter and will engage with his audience and take them with him on his amazing journey. Linklaters, UK

Rob was exactly the ticket for our conference…his story was not only epic and inspirational, but also perfectly suited to help people realize the only real limitations are those we put upon ourselves.The Southwestern Company, USARob’s down to earth personality combined with his extraordinary achievements inspired and instilled confidence in our team that by setting goals, getting started and persevering it is possible to make dreams come true.Maersk Line, China

Rob Lilwall is a truly engaging and inspiring speaker… A truly incredible story that captured the hearts of our audience! His extraordinary adventure was achieved through out-of-the-box thinking, creative problem-solving and determination. These lessons were vividly conveyed. We highly recommend him as a guest speaker.Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Finance, Singapore

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